Stapling machine



April 20, 1954 H. J. SPENCER STAPLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 4, 1949 III ...L- l;

awqawwmwmrwaMwmw 111 l Il r 1 HIS TTORNEYS IN VEN TOR Herman J. Spencer 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Herman J. Spencer WM Mvm HLS` A T TORNEYS April 20, 1954 H. 1. SPENCER sTAPLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 194e April 20, 1954 H, J, SPENCER 2,675,547

v STAPLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 5s '580 '39 38a a 58 -B sec-seb l I4 E les INVENTOR. Herman ./.Spencer BY M// W 4v-dbnl HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 20, 17954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to fastener applying devices such for example as a stapling or tacking device in which staples or other fasteners are fed to a staple driving throat and are then acted upon by a staple driver to drive them into the Work.

An object of the invention is to provide means for quickly removing `iammed staples from the driving end of the machine without removing from the machine any parts which might become lost or damaged.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a stapling machine having a gate which can be swung outwardly from the forward end of the staple magazine so as to give access to the magazine, in combination with a staple hold down member which is movable relative to the frame. so that jammed staples may be readily removed upon raising the staple hold down member.

Another object is the provision of a stapling machine having means whereby a feeder spring located below the crown of the staples can be readily detached from its connection with a staple pusher for removal of the latter from a staple guide in order to facilitate the loading of staples from the rear of the staple magazine. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred embodiment of my invention and a modification thereof- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the stapling machine, certain parts being omitted;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the stapling machine, showing the pivoted gate in open position to provide access to the front end of the staple magazine;

Figure 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on the line III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a pivoted gate which closes the front end of the stapling machine but which may be swung open to give access to the staple magazine;

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the gate shown in, Figure 5, taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a top plan view of the gate shown in Figure 5;

Figure f2 is a top plan view of the pivoted staple hold down member;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the staple hold down member shown in Figure 8;

Figure 1G is an end elevation of the staple hold down member;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the staple follower;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the feeder spring clip;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the clip. shown in Figure 12;

Figure 14 is an end elevation of the clip shown in Figure 12;

Figures 15, 16 and 17 are views of a staple driver guide plate, Figure 15 being a front elevation, Figure 16 an end elevation, and Figure 17 a vertical section on the line XVIIe-XVII of Figure 15;

Figures 18, 19 and 20 are views of the rear portion of a staple guide, Figure 18 being a side elevation, Figure 19l a top plan, and Figure 20 an end elevation; and

Figure 21 is a horizontal sectional viewof a modification in which a plate forming a part of a staple driving throat is secured to the frame instead of to the pivoted gate shown in Figures 5 7.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the stapling machine comprises a sheet metal frame or casing which forms a staple magazine 2 having at its forward end and located above the magazine, a staple driving head indicated generally by the reference numeral 3. For the greater part of its length the frame is of general U-shape in transverse crosssection and comprises a bottom wall 4a, a side wall lib and a side wall 4c, the top being open. At the front end of the machine the side Walls lib and lic are extended upwardly to form brackets 5b and 5c which are spaced apart transversely of the machine.

The front end of the stapling machine is closed by a pivoted gate indicated generally by the reference numeral 6. This gate can be swung from the closed position shown in Figure k1 to the open position shown in Figure 2, whereby access is gained to the front end of the staple magazine 2 to remove jammed staples, The pivoted gate t is illustrated more particularly in Figures 5, 6 and 7. In plan it is substantially U-shaped, as shown in Figure 7. It comprises a front wall ta, a side wall 6b and a side Wall 6c. Adjacent the tops thereof the side walls 6b, and 5c are provided with holes 1 Which receive a pin 8 supported in the frame brackets 5b and 5c, whereby the gate 6 is pivoted on the pin 8 ,so that it may be swung to the open position shown in Figure 2.

A staple driver indicated generally by the reference numeral It is mounted lfor vertical reciprocation in the gate E. The staple driver comprises a plunger or block Illa at its upper part and at its lower part and integral therewith a staple driving blade lb. In its reciprocation, the plunger Illa is guided at its front by the front wall 6a of the gate 6, at its sides by the side walls 6b and 6c of the gate and at its rear by inturned flanges II formed on the side walls 6b and 6c of the gate 5.

The staple driving blade Ib reciprocates vertically across the front end of the staple magazine 2 so as to drive downwardly a staple which is fed from the magazine by means later described. 'Ihe staple and the blade Ib are guided through a staple driving throat I2 shown in Figures l and 3. Referring particularly to Figures 1, 3, 15, 16 and 17, a plate, indicated generally by the reference numeral I4, is secured to the rear face of the front wall 6a of the gate 6. At its upper portion the plate I l! is cut away through its entire thickness to form a slot I to enable the staples S to be fed olf of the front end of a staple guide and into the space beneath the blade I 0b. The staple driving blade Illb` is guided at its side edges by the walls I6 of the plate I. At its lower end the plate Il! is provided with a slot I1 which extends only part way through the thickness of the plate so as to provide the staple driving throat I2.

Any suitable means can be employed for reciprocating the plunger Illa and plunger blade Ib, and since the means for reciprocating the plunger forms no part of the present invention, it has not been illustrated. I prefer, however, to employ the driving means illustrated in my copending application Serial No. 124,790 filed November l, 1949, and issued on November 11, 1952, as U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,617,097.

The construction of the staple magazine 2 and the operation of the means for feeding staples through the magazine into position beneath the blade Ib will now be described.

A staple guide designated generally by the reference numeral 20, see Figure 4, is secured to the inside of the frame bottom wall 4a. This staple guide 2li has a horizontal web 20a which is secured to the frame wall lla and has two vertical ilanges 2Gb. The staple guide 2B eX- tends substantially throughout the length of the magazine 2. The staples S are fed into the magazine 2 from the rear 0f the magazine, as hereinafter described, the crown of the staples resting on the vertical flanges 20h of the staple guide and the legs of the staples extending downwardly along the outside of the flanges 20h. The staples S lie between the staple guide 2i) and a hold down member designated generally by the reference numeral 22. The hold down member 22 is' illustrated particularly in Figures 3, 8, 9 and 10. It comprises a top plate 22a and two downwardly extending vertical iianges 22h. At its front end the hold down member has two outwardly eX- tending horizontal lugs 23 (see Figure 3) which extend outwardly beyond the sides lb and 4c of the frame and outwardly beyond the sides db and 6c of the pivoted gate 6. The rear end of the hold down member 22 is pivoted to the frame by two pins .2li secured to the frame and fitting in holes 2da in the hold down member. Thus the lugs 23 can be gripped by the fingers and the front end of the hold down member 22 raised about itspivot 2li to the position shown in Figure 2 away from the staple guide 2G so as to release jammed staples by inserting a suitable tool into the machine after the pivoted gate 6 has been swung to the open position shown in Figure 2. The staple hold down member 22 is normally held in its lower operative position by a spring 26 coiled about a pin 27 mounted in the brackets 3 and having an end 26a, secured in a notch in the bracket and an end 26h pressing against the upper side of the hold down member 22.

The lower portions of the ilanges db and Se of the pivoted gate E are provided with an upstanding lug 28 forming a notch 29 which receive the lugs 23 on the hold down member 22, thereby holding the gate in locked position. In closing the gate the cam surface 36 of the lug 28 raises the lugs 23 upwardly against the pressure of the spring 26, and after the lugs 23 have been received in the notches 29 the spring hoids the gate B in locked position.

The staples S are fed along the staple guide 20 by a feeder spring 32. and a staple follower 33, the staple follower being illustrated in Figure 11. One end 32a of the feeder spring 32 is fastened to a lug 22a formed on the staple guide 20. The spring passes around a roller 3ft mounted on a pin 35 supported in the front end of the staple guide 20. The other end 3 of the spring is passed through a hole 3'! in a finger clip 38 to pivotally secure the spring to the nnger clip. The finger clip 33 is of generai 'ri-shape, as illustrated in Figure 13, having a top flange 38a, a bottom ilange 38h and a vertically extending web 38e. The hole 31 for pivotally securing the spring end 36 to the clip is formed in the ange 38h. The flange 32a is provided with a slot 39 adapted to receive a lug d on a bracket -fi secured to the rear end of the staple follower 33. The staple hold down member 22 has a slot d2 and the widths of the ange 33p and the web 38o of the finger clip are such as to slide in this slot 42. However, the flange 33a of the finger clip is wider than the slot 22 in the hold down member so that the nger clip cannot fall beiow the Ahold down member. When the slot 32 of the iinger clip 38 and the projection d on the bracket 4I of the follower 33 are in engagement, the spring 32 acts to move the foliower i3 forwardly to feed staples along the magazine 2 to the staple driving throat I2.

When it is desired to load a stick of staples into the magazine 2 through its rear end, the finger clip 38 is detached from the follower 33 by lifting the finger clip to disengage the slot 39 from the lug 40 and then the nger clip 32 is drawn rearwardly of the magazine, moved downwardly, tilted and placed in the position shown at the rear of Figure 1 in chain lines. it is fetained in this position due to the construction of the rea-r end of the staple guide 2d, see Figures 18-20. The sides Zlb of the staple guide are formed at their rear edges with notches d and with inturned iianges 45. The flange 22h of the finger clip 38 rests against these flanges i5 and the spring 32 retains the clip in its inoperative position below' the top of the staple guide 20 so that the staple follower 33 can be slid rearwardly out of the magazine, a new stick of staples slid on to the staple guide from the rear of the machine, the staple follower also slid on to the staple guide behind th new stick of staples, and thereafter the finger clip 33 is removed from its notch 4d and placed in position so as to secure it to the follower 33.

-If a staple becomes jammed in the machine, the forward end of the staple hold down member 22 is pivoted about the pin 2li by gripping the lugs 23 with the fingers and raising the lugs against the pressure of spring 26. This raising of the hold down member 22 simultaneously releases the lugs 23 of the hold down member from the notch 29 of the pivoted gate 6 so that the gate can be swung outwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 and the jammed staple can be readily removed by the use of a suitable pointed tool.

In the embodiment which has been described thus far, the staple driving throat l2 is formed by the front wall of the pivoted gate 6 and the plate I4 shown in Figures 15-1'7, said plate being secured to and movable with the gate 5. However, if desired, the plate which forms a part of the staple driving throat, can be secured to the front end `of the magazine 2 instead of to the Igate t. Such construction is shown in Figure 21 in which a plate 48 is secured as by welding 49 to the front ends of the frame members 50 which form the side walls of the staple magazine. The plate 48 is of the same construction as the plate ill shown in Figures -l'7. At its upper portion the plate 48 is cut away through its entire thickness to form a slot 5l to enable the staples S to be fed ofi the front end of the staple guide 2B and into the space beneath the blade Hlb. At its lower end the plate 48 is provided with a slot 52 which extends only part way through the thickness of the plate so as to provide a staple` driving throat 53. The pivoted gate 54 is shown in closed position in full lines and in open position in chain lines.

The invention is not limited toi the preferred embodiment but may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a stapling machine having a frame, a magazine for holding a supply of staples, a stapler driver reciprocable across the front end of said magazine, a staple guide fixed relative to the frame, means for feeding the staples along. the guide to successively deliver them to the staple driver, and agate pivoted to the frame for closing the front end of said magazine and adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom to give access to said magazine; the improvement comprising a staple hold down member overlying said staple guide and pivoted to and tiltable relative to the frame from an upper position away from said staple guide to a lower position adjacent said staple guide, and cooperating latch means on said gate and said hold down member operative to release said gate upon raising said hold down member to its upper position away from said staple guide.

2. In a stapling machine having a frame, a frame, a magazine for holding a supply of staples, a staple driver reciprocable across the front end of said magazine, a staple guide xed relative to the frame, means for feeding the staples along the guide to successively deliver them to the staple driver, and a gate pivoted to the frame for closing the front end of said magazine and adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom to give access to said magazine, said gate having a notch formed therein, the improvement comprising a staple hold down member overlying said staple guide and pivoted to and tiltable relative to the frame from an upper position away from said staple guide to a lower position adjacent said staple' guide, a latch on said hold down member for cooperating with said notch and accessible from the outside of said stapling machine, said latch being releasable from said notch upon raising of said latch to raise said hold down member to its upper position away from said staple guide.

3. In a stapling machine having a frame, a magazine for holding a supply of staples, a staple driver reciprocable across the front end of said magazine, a staple guide xed relative to the frame, means for feeding the staples along the guide to successively deliver them to the staple driver, and a gate pivoted to the frame for closing the front end of said magazine and adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom to give access to said magazine, the lower part of said gate forming at least a part of a staple driving throat; the improvement comprising a staple hold down member overlying said staple guide and movable relative to said frame toward and away from said staple guide, and means on said hold down member and accessible from the outside of the stapling machine cooperating with said gate for releasing said gate upon actuation of the means on said hold down member to raise said hold down member away from said staple guide.

4. In a stapling machine having a frame, a magazine for holding a supply of staples, a staple driver reciprocable across the front end of said magazine, a staple guide fixed relative to the frame, means for feeding the staples along the guide to successively deliver them to the staple driver, and a gate pivoted to the frame for closing the front end of said magazine and adapted to be swung outwardly therefrom to give access to said magazine, the lower part of said gate forming at least a part of a staple driving throat and the upper part of said gate forming a plunger guide; the improvement comprising a staple hold down member overlying said staple guide and movable relative to said frame toward and away from said staple guide, and means on said hold down member and accessible from the ouside of the stapling machine cooperating with said gate for releasing said gate upon actuation of the means on said hold down member to raise said hold down member away from said staple guide.

5. In a stapling machine, a frame, a reciprocably mounted staple driver in a guide supported by said frame, a staple guide fixed relative to said frame, means for feeding staples along said guide to deliver them into position to be driven by said staple driver, a gate pivoted to the frame for closing the front end or" the machine and adapted to be swung to open position, the lower part of said gate having a front portion, side portions, and a rear portion forming a complete staple driving channel.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,096,371 Cavanaugh Oct. 19, 1937 2,130,734 Drypolcher Sept. 20, 1938 2,161,449 Blumenbaurn June 6, 1939 2,2'38192 Attnla Dec. 30, 1941 2,310,529 Krantz Feb. 9, .1.943 2,311,643 Crosby Feb. 23, 2,328,839 Abstfeld Sept. "J, 1943 2,472,e32 wandel May si, 194e 2,432,156 Crosby et al Sept. 20, 1949 

